Gods of the Wasteland 1: The Drums of War
by rhmagoon19
Summary: Six years after Project Purity was saved from the Enclave, the Capital Wasteland is blossoming and the Lone Wanderer has not been called upon to save the day in a long time. But now, a new threat has emerged, a threat that could destroy life in the Wasteland for all. A threat even the Lone Wanderer might not be able to stop.
1. Chapter 1

**Gods of the Wasteland 1: **

**The Drums of War**

**1**

The little house in Megaton had always been a good home, and Norton was almost sad to be leaving it. He had lived there for nearly four years now and it was the first home he had actually enjoyed.

For a minute, he stood in his cramped room, containing only a bed, a filing cabinet, and a desk. He opened the top drawer of the desk and pulled out a faded photograph. Without looking, he stuffed the photo in a pocket and walked out of the room. It was time to go.

"Good morning, sir!" Wadsworth said. The robot was an old Mister Handy model that had been left in the house when the last owner left. When Norton got the house, Wadsworth just became a sort of butler. He had lived there much longer than Norton had.

"Morning, Wadsworth." Said Norton as he headed towards the stairs. "I'm going out." He didn't have the heart to tell the robot that he was never returning. Moira Brown at the Craterside Supply had told him that the robot didn't have a sense of time or friendship, so he probably wouldn't be affected by Norton's leaving. Hell, he could come back in fifty years and it would feel like ten minutes to Wadsworth.

"I'll see you when you return, sir!" Wadsworth called cheerfully from upstairs. Norton almost felt sorry for him.

Suddenly, Norton stopped at the door and looked around the room. An old locker stood in the corner. He had cleared it out the night before, but he opened the door and checked anyway. Nothing but dust. He turned to the little bobblehead collection stand in the center of the room. He was never a fan of bobbleheads, so the thing had mostly been an end table.

The house felt so…empty.

Norton let out a sigh and opened the door. Without thinking, he locked it behind him, knowing that his key was sitting on the desk upstairs. No turning back now.

He stood outside the house and looked around Megaton. The town had been built around an old, post-war crater. The bomb that caused the crater lay down in the bottom, in plain view for everyone in town. No one had known if it was live or not until Norton had gone in and looked inside four years earlier. He had disarmed it within twenty minutes and "saved the town" as Lucas Simms had put it.

The rim of the crater was surrounded by a fence made of sheet metal and various fencing that had been scavenged from the Wasteland. Megaton rested inside, its buildings linked by ramps and walkways made of makeshift scrap metal and pipes. Walter, the city maintenance worker, kept clean water pumping through town with pipes salvaged from the nearby town of Springvale.

Norton shouldered his pack and walked down a narrow ramp around the side of the house. He went maybe three hundred yards before he saw the small group of people standing by the city gate. Four of Megaton's residents were waiting to give their final goodbyes. Norton grinned and little and walked over to them.

"Finally!" Moira Brown exclaimed. "We've been waiting for half an hour, I have a shop to run, buddy!"

With a chuckle, Norton hugged his good friend. Moira had been one of the first people he actually called a friend in the town and their friendship had only gotten stronger throughout his residency.

"I've said it once and I'll say it again, Norton." A voice said behind him. Norton turned to face Lucas Simms, the sheriff of Megaton. "I could always use a deputy. Hell, I'll be the deputy and you can be sheriff if you really wanted it."

"Thanks, Luke, but that job really isn't for me." Said Norton, shaking Lucas' hand. "But I'll definitely keep it in mind."

The next person in line only looked at Norton for over a minute before saying anything. His name was Gob, and he was very different from everyone else in Megaton. Gob was a Ghoul, an average person who, through radiation exposure and breeding, had the appearance of a corpse.

"Out of everyone in this stinking town." Gob began. "You are one of the few people that have actually treated me like a human being. If my tear ducts worked, I'd probably cry right now."

Norton went to hug the Ghoul, remembered he hated human contact, and stopped.

"Thanks, pal. That means a lot." Gob nodded in approval and stepped back with Moira and Lucas. Norton turned and knew that this goodbye would be the hardest.

The girl that stood before him was named Nova. She had lived in Megaton her whole life and, at the age of sixteen, joined the work force at Moriarty's Saloon. To be blunt, Nova was a prostitute. The first time Norton had come to Megaton, at the ripe age of nineteen, he had gone to the Saloon and met the girl. Instantly, he felt something for her.

But, Norton soon had to live and finish an adventure that lasted much longer then he had hoped. Eventually, nearly two years later, Norton returned and the girl was still there. So was that feeling.

"Look at you." Said Nova, stepping up to him. She was nearly a head shorter and had short, red hair. To his joy, she was smiling even though tears filled her eyes. "You're all grown up, Norty."

God, he hated that nickname! Since they had first met she had called him that and it drove him crazy. They had been very close, almost a couple, ever since he had moved in permanently. If he had a cap for every time he had awoken to find Nova in his bed, he would be rich. But, they had never technically dated, which Norton was regretting.

"You're only two years old than me, girl." Norton said, commenting on her "all grown up" statement.

"Just the same, lover boy."

Without words, Norton enclosed her in his arms and kissed her. It was a parting kiss, deep and knowing that it would be the last. He held her close to his body, not wanting her to go. Eventually, they parted.

"You can still come with me." Urged Norton, holding both of her hands in his and looking into her eyes. "You and me, in the Wastes."

"I've told you, Norty, that life isn't for me." Nova told him, sadly. "My life is here. My life is Megaton. I would never survive out there. In here, you'll always know I'm safe."

"Why are you saying that like I'm never coming back?" Norton asked her. "I'll visit."

"Please!" Nova laughed. "Last time you said that you were gone for nearly two years and became a hero. Don't say see you soon, Norty. Just say goodbye."

The facts were finally out there. The odds of him ever seeing Megaton, or his sweet Nova, were very thin. He didn't want to admit it, but it was true.

"Goodbye, Nova." Norton said. He kissed her again, not letting go of her hands. God, what was he doing? Why was he leaving this perfect life?

He pulled away from her and dropped his left hand. Norton barely felt Nova slip a tiny, silk bag into his right hand. He looked from her smiling face and then to the bag. Quickly, he opened it.

"No." He told her bluntly, trying to hand the bag back. "This is yours. You've earned. It's your money to get to Rivet City."

"Shut up, Norty." She chuckled. "I'll make more. It's only a hundred caps."

"I don't want it."

"Too bad, lover boy."

"Damn it Nova, no!"

"Damn it Norton, yes!"

The argument ended like that. Like they always ended between them. A stalemate. Norton shoved the bag into the pants pocket of his old Leather Armor and smiled at her.

"I'm gonna miss you, Nova." He told her bluntly, not wanting the moment to end just yet.

"Oh, kiss me and get out of here you big dummy! Before you make me cry!"

Norton pulled Nova in for a third and final time, kissing her harder than he ever had before. The moment ended to quickly and before they could say anything else, Nova turned from him and walked away. Quick and easy, like ripping off a band aid. Following suit, Norton turned to face the Megaton gate and his three friends.

"I almost forgot!" Moira suddenly announced, reaching into a faded satchel on her hip. "I found this in my shop, you probably forgot all about it. I fixed it! Got it working like new again."

Norton was shocked to see that Moira was holding a Pip-Boy 3000 in her hands. Not only that, but the same one he had worn until about eight months ago, when it had suddenly died on him. Without a thought, he clipped it onto his wrist and flicked the ON switch. To greet him was a familiar green glow and a map of the Capital Wasteland.

"How did you fix it?"

"I just needed to charge the batteries." Said Moira happily. "I just hooked them up to a Conductor and a Fission Battery and it booted right up."

"Thank you so much, I missed this old thing."

Norton hugged Moira and shook Lucas' hand. With a final nod to Gob, he shouldered his back and stepped out of Megaton for the last time.


	2. Chapter 2

2

He left Megaton in the late morning, just before noon. He cut north through the ruins of Springvale, making a berth past the Springvale School. It was a very common place for Raiders to hang out and he didn't feel like a gun fight that morning.

After that, he continued north. He past one farm along the banks of the Potomac River on his way. Ever since Project Purity had started up six years before, the water in the river was finally safe to drink with no radiation. Farms of brahim had begun to rise up and dying settlements had gotten new life. Even the deadly Mirelurks, who used to fill the river, were thinning out because they required decent amounts of radiation to survive.

The farm belong to a black man named Theo, who lived there with his wife Minnie and their daughter Gabriella, who was barely six years old. When Norton reached the farm, Theo was tending a small garden and Minnie was washing clothes on the porch.

"Hold back!" Theo called as Norton reached the fence. He pulled an old .32 pistol off his hip and pointed it at Norton. "If you're a Raider, you can go ahead and skedaddle, friend."

"Just passing through." Norton assured them, keeping his hands in front of him and well away from the old 10mm pistol on his hip. His Combat Shotgun was strung across his back alongside his pack.

Theo holstered the gun and smiled at Norton. The two shook hands.

"The name's Theo Michaels." Said Theo. "That's my wife, Minnie, up there on the porch and our daughter's taking a nap."

"I'm Norton. Pleased to meet you."

"So where you headed, stranger?"

That was tough to answer. How could you tell a stranger that you were going somewhere that might not exist?

"I'm going north." He told the farmer. "I'm looking for Vermont."

The look in Theo's eyes said everything. He thought Norton was insane.

"I hope you know that Vermont might not even exist."

"I know." Norton admitted. "But if it's as good as they say it is, it's worth it."

" Well, best of luck to you then, Norton." Theo said.

So, Norton continued on. He could have crossed the river, but in the distance he could see Big Town. Hell, he might as well visit the old place. He had saved it from destruction once or twice. They loved him over there.

By three in the afternoon, he was at Big Town. In reality, Big Town was just a cluster of houses turned into a makeshift fortress. The only entrance was over a rope bridge over a pool of irradiated water. As he reached the bridge, he was stopped by Dusty, the gate sentry.

"Stop." Dusty ordered. He was wearing his old security army and held a Hunting Rifle in his hands. It took him a second to realize who was at the gate. "Norton?" He asked.

"It's me." Norton said.

"Well shit!" The old sentry exclaimed. "Come on over!"

Norton crossed and shook Dusty's hand. He hadn't been to the town in years. Actually, he hadn't even left Megaton since he moved in permanently. There he was, thinking about Megaton again.

"Where have you been?" asked Dusty.

"I settled down." Norton replied.

"You? No way."

"Seriously! I've been in Megaton for nearly four years."

Dusty said goodbye and Norton began walking through town. He saw Pappy and Flash, two of Big Town's older residents. Out of nowhere a cry of joy split through the air and he felt two arms fly around him, nearly taking him to the ground.

"You came back!" Bittercup yelled. "I knew you would!"

Bittercup was a young girl, maybe a year younger than Norton. She had shoulder length brown hair and a beautiful face. Ever since Norton had first visited Big Town, the girl had had a crush on him. Apparently now was no different.

"Well hello there!" He laughed, hugging her back.

"I missed you!" she told him. Without warning she went in for a second hug and he didn't fight it. She was a good girl overall.

"Likewise." Norton said. "Where's Red at?"

"In her clinic." Said Bittercup. "So, are you staying the night? Cause if you have nowhere to stay you can bunk with me in the Common House."

"No, I'm just passing through."

"Oh." There was disappointment in the girl's voice.

"But remember, you'll always be my number one Big Town gal." Norton said, hugging her again. He could almost feel her heart flutter.

"Okay. I have to go. I'm supposed to be watching the south side. Bye, Norton." With that, the girl was off, pulling a 10mm pistol out as she went. Norton watched her leave with a smile and then walked to Red's Clinic.

The Clinic was really an old house that Red, the only one in town with any medical experience, had turned into a home and place to patch up wounded residents.

Red answered the door on the first knock and a smile covered her face. Red was a short, black women who always wore a red jumpsuit and a red bandana on her head, most likely giving her the namesake she had.

"Hey, stranger!" Red said, embracing him in a light hug. "It's been too long."

The last time Norton had seen Red, he was saving her from a pack of Super Mutants in the ruins of the Germantown police station to the northeast. She and another resident named Shorty had been taken there and Norton had offered to save them, nearly getting himself killed in the process.

"Yes it has." Said Norton. "I was just passing through and wondered if you could sell me some Stimpaks."

"No can do." Said Red regretting. "I have none to spare. Someone gets wounded almost every day. I would if I could though."

"People are constantly getting wounded and you have Bittercup patrolling the town. Sounds like you have Super Mutant problems again."

"Nope. To be honest, I haven't seen a Super Mutant in over a year now. The problem we have now is Raiders."

Raiders. Scum of the Earth. Roving packs of sadists and killers who will kill, rape, and steal from anyone they can find. They were spread out all over the Wasteland. Most of them had headed north, far away from the River and "civilized life" as soon as Project Purity started and towns started to be patrolled by the Brotherhood of Steel more often.

"Really? I thought they all fled north." Norton said.

"Apparently something is scaring them south again. Something scarier than the Brotherhood."

"What could be doing that?" Norton asked.

Before Red could answer, the sound of a gunshot filled the air, followed by a girl screaming. Norton turned, dropping his pack and grabbing his Shotgun at the same time. Bittercup lay on the ground in the center of town, blood pooling around her. Norton could hear her crying in pain.

Three Raiders stood at the bridge. Dusty, who had been sipping out of a bottle of whiskey, went for his Hunting Rifle. He was too slow and one of the Raider's hit across the face with a police baton, knocking him to the dirt and the rifle out of his hands.

Flash and Norton charged the bridge. Only one of the Raider's had a gun (a hunting rifle similar to Dusty's) and he stood on the other side of the bridge. The other two Raider's charged across the bridge. One carried a now bloodied police baton and the second carried a tire iron. All three wore mismatch armor they had picked off of victims.

Norton fired his shotgun and the head of one Raider disappeared, her tire iron falling to the ground. The Raider with the rifle fired again and Flash screamed, clenching his bicep and dropping his .32 revolver. Norton fired at the second Raider and his chest blew open. He was dead when he hit the ground.

The last Raider was trying to fire again, but his cheap rifle was jamming. Norton was too far away for the Shogun, so he dropped it and pulled out his old 10mm pistol. He fired three shots. All of them hit the Raider in the chest and he fell dead.

"Flash!" Norton called. "You okay."

"Just a graze." He said, blood seeping through his fingers.

Dusty was getting back to his feet, alive but dazed. Norton rushed to Bittercup, who was moaning in pain. He rolled her over and looked into her sweating, dirty face. A hole the size of a fist was in her chest, almost directly between the breasts. There was no way she would survive.

"Is my makeup okay?" asked Bittercup, nearly a whisper. Norton remembered that one time, she admitted to using chalk she found in the Wastes as makeup. He had laughed and the time and he smiled now. Leave it to her to ask about makeup at a time like this.

"You look gorgeous, Bittercup." He told her. She smiled up at him, clearly happy for the first time in a long time, and then she closed her eyes and died. Norton checked her pulse, found nothing, and laid her down softly.

Pappy, Shorty, and Kimba stood near the Common House. They had come out at the sound of gunfire with their guns drawn, but were too late. Red was leading Flash to the Clinic and Dusty was still at the bridge, inspecting his crack face shield. An ugly bruise had formed near his temple.

This was not what Norton wanted. He had killed enough in his time. He had to leave.

"You people survive." Norton said. "If I see any Brotherhood patrols, I'll send help. I promise."

With that, Norton left, heading north again with a full mind.


	3. Chapter 3

3

Norton could almost hear Sarah's voice in his dream.

Like it had been for the past six years, he dreamed of Sarah Lyons, the first women he had ever loved. He could still see her on that night before they reclaimed Project Purity from the Enclave. He could still she her lying her in bed with him, smoking a cigarette, naked under the thin blanket.

"As soon as this is over, Norton, I'm done." Sarah had said. Her blonde hair was out of a ponytail now and it fell a little way past her shoulders. "Once we have Project Purity, I'm hanging up my Power Armor and leaving. I don't like killing. It will break Dad's heart, but I'm doing it."

The dream held on a little longer. That last night in Sarah's room was Norton's favorite yet most hated memory. It had been at that moment he had said he loved her and Sarah had returned the words. Neither knew she would be dead by that time the next night

…

He woke with a start, not knowing where he was for a second. His 10mm pistol lay next to him and he grabbed it, looking around in the dark. Soon, he knew exactly where he was.

Throughout the Wastes, travelers always had to find their own cover from the weather and the night. After leaving Big Town, Norton had stopped at dusk to sleep in an abandoned trailer on the remains of the highway. He wasn't surprised to find an old mattress already inside. So, as night fell, he took off his pack, dropped his guns within arm's reach, and went to sleep.

The back of the trailer was open and Norton could hear the high wind outside and the river several hundred feet away. It wasn't the safest place to sleep, but the fight in Big Town had drained him and he needed to rest. The clock on the Pip-Boy read 12:52 A.M., so he knew had hadn't gotten very much sleep. Something was troubling him.

Norton, knowing he would get little more sleep tonight, got up and searched through his pack with the aid of the Pip-Boy's light. He found matches in seconds and walked over to the makeshift fire pit that had been in the trailer when he arrived. Instinctively, he had piled dead wood and other burnable items from outside near the pit, even though he hadn't planned on a fire. Within minutes, he had a small fire burning.

It didn't take long for his thoughts to fill his mind. First off, he felt guilty for Bittercup's death. Even though he knew it wasn't his fault, he felt bad, just like he always did when someone he was close to died. He assumed it was just natural.

He closed his eyes and saw something he didn't want to see. He saw himself in the Jefferson Memorial, standing amongst all the dead Enclave soldiers. He saw Sarah by the door to the Purifier. He saw her going to open it.

"The radiation will kill you, Sarah!" He had called to her. She had looked at him.

"I know, Norton." She said. "But it has to be done. The Purifier has to be turned on."

"I'll do it!" He called to her. "Please, let me."

"The world is going to need you, Norton." She said. "You need to tell the world what went on here."

"No!" He had screamed, running towards the stairs to the door. He had to stop her.

"Vargas, Gallows, stop him." Sarah said softly. Two of her men grabbed Norton as he reached the bottom of the stairs. He kicked and fought, but they held him in place.

"Sarah, please!" He begged her. He couldn't go on without her.

"I love you." She said.

He watched the door open and he watched her walk to the Purifier's control console, the radiation seeping into her body. She typed in the code and then turned to face him. Her skin was already a sic, ashy color as she mouthed those three words again. She clenched her stomach, fell to the floor, and lay still.

Norton came back from the memory quickly. He had remembered how he had fought and fought and Vargas had been forced to knock him out to stop him. When he had awoken, he was in the Citadel the next morning.

Now, Norton sat in the trailer and thought. Six years Sarah had been gone, but he dreamed about her every night. Was she was reason he has never dated Nova? Did he still love Sarah? Of course he did!

He pushed the idea into the back corner of his mind, knowing he didn't have to worry about it now. Something else was going on in his home. Something bad.

The Raiders, who never went south of Paradise Falls (now a Brotherhood of Steel outpost, all the slavers imprisoned for crimes against humanity) were now coming all the way down to Big Town. Something was wrong with this picture. Something was making them flee the north. But what? What could scare them more than the Brotherhood?

Something told Norton that his trip to the fabled Vermont would have to be postponed, if not cancelled. Hell, Vermont was a child's story anyway. A state free of crime, monsters, and radiation. Parents of the Capital Wasteland told of it as bedtimes stories to their kids. Maybe Norton wasn't looking for Vermont. Maybe, he had just wanted to get out of city life.

But, he had to ask himself something. Was he ready to go back into this life? A life of killing, struggle, and sadness? Deep in his mind, he knew that this life had always been planned for him. But now, after six years of peace, was he ready to go back? The answer was obvious. Hell yes. If it meant saving the people of Big Town and maybe more, then he was all in.

So, Norton set the coordinates in his Pip-Boy to Paradise Falls. If anyone knew what was going on, it would be the Brotherhood. Silently, he opened a box of Fancy Lad's Snack Cakes and waited for dawn by the fire.


	4. Chapter 4

4

Dawn came faster than Norton had hoped, but he was ready as soon as the sun reached the horizon, spraying gray light upon the post-apocalyptic world. His pack rested on his back, his pistol rode on his left hip, and his Combat Shotgun was cradled in his arms, ready at a second's notice. He had spent the past hour cleaning his guns by firelight and knew they were in top condition.

According to his Pip-Boy, the trip to Paradise Falls would take roughly five hours, if he kept a steady walk. That was exactly what Norton did, keeping to the old highway. There was less chance of an attack on the road, but he didn't let his guard down. There were a number of things that could attack at any second and he wanted to hit them before they hit him.

He had been walking for nearly an hour when he came upon the caravan. The owner was a middle-aged man named Crow. Norton had met the strange man a couple of times and knew his specialty was armor, but he always had a few little tidbits lying around.

"Hello!" Crow called from the road with his free hand. His other hand was leading his old pack Brahmin. "The spirits told me we'd meet!"

"How are you, Crow?" asked Norton.

"I'm doing well." The trader answered. "What about yourself. That leather armor is looking pretty beat-up. What you need is all new combat armor. I just picked it up in Canterbury Commons."

"No thanks, Crow. I was wondering if you had any 10mm or shotgun ammo lying around. Maybe a couple Stimpaks."

"I have six rounds of 10mm and ten shotgun shells. I'll give them to ya for three caps a round."

"Three caps?" Norton asked. "That's a little much, isn't it?"

"No sir! Things are getting expensive up north."

"What's happening up north?"

"I don't know, but prices are going up all over, man!"

Norton paid for the ammo, spending forty-eight caps total. As he was about to say goodbye to Crow, he looked around, feeling something was missing.

"Hey, Crow." He said. "Didn't you always have a guard with you? For a little extra protection?"

"Until about a year ago, yes." Answered the trader. "But one day, a messenger came and offered my guard 100 caps a day to work for a man named Mr. Rhoades as a guard and he up and split! 100 caps! I was only paying him fifteen a day. And from the sound, there are other messengers buying all the mercenaries they can for the same price."

That was odd. Who was this Mr. Rhoades and why did he want so many mercenaries?

"I also heard of messengers going to settlements and recruiting young men and women." Said Crow. "Just like the mercenaries. But of course, it's all rumors."

"Interesting. Thanks, Crow."

"No problem, friend."

The two parted ways, Norton going northwest and Crow heading south, most likely towards Big Town. This new information was important enough for Norton to stop, go to the Notes section on his Pip-Boy and type in "Mr. Rhoades? Why does he want all the mercenaries?"

Norton moved on, trying to decipher the equation in his head. Something was telling him that this was all connected, but he didn't know how. Hopefully, the Brotherhood could shed some light on the whole issue.

He didn't see a single person or creature for three and a half hours after meeting Crow. But, as Norton crested a hill, he looked down to see three dogs standing in a clearing, eating the rotting corpse of a mole rat. He only say them for a second before he that smelt through the afternoon air.

The howling began and the three dogs began running towards him. Blood dripped from their jaws and mud matted there fur. Norton looked. He could see Paradise Falls, maybe twenty minutes away. There was no way he could outrun the hounds for that long. Quickly, he backed off the road, a giant boulder covering his back, and lifted the shotgun.

The first dog leaped through the air and he fired, killing it before it hit the ground. He pivoted and fired at the second, the shot going over its head. The third dog closed it and he sprung to the side, crashing the muzzle of the shotgun down on its head, crushing the skull.

The last dog jumped and Norton wasn't quick enough. Its teeth clenched his forearm, punching through the leather. Norton let out a cry of pain and flung his air. The dog lost its grip and hit the asphalt rolling. Before it was up, Norton fired the shotgun with one hand, spraying its guts all over the road.

Norton leaned the shotgun against the boulder and began going through his pack. He soon found one of his six Stimpaks and began stripping off the top portion of his armor. A Stimpak was a medical device that was a mixture of painkiller and antibiotic in a syringe with a little gauge that showed the amount of medicine left.

Now bare chested, Norton looked at the small puncture wounds in his forearm. Without hesitation, he plunged the needle of the Stimpak directly into the wound and pushed down the plunger. Within seconds the pain faded. Norton then wrapped a piece of cloth around his arm to keep the dirt out of it and put back on his armor. Then, he continued on.

Paradise Falls had been a decent sized strip mall before the Great War, but a fence made of sheet metal, barbed wire, and wrecked cars had been built between most of the buildings, making it a decent fortress. The place had been a common place for slavers to live and store their slaves. A few years back, as the Brotherhood of Steel grew and branched out more, the place was taken over as an outpost.

Norton followed the road directly to the entrance, a simple trail through a gap in the fence that led to the inner gates of the outpost. At first, he was shocked that there was no guards at the gate. Then, he saw the bodies.

The decaying bodies of two young men lay behind the sandbags near the gate. Their Power Armor had been removed and their Laser Rifles lay close by, stripped of ammo. The only thing identifying them as Brotherhood were their holotags around their necks. Both had bullet wounds through their chests.

Norton readied his shotgun and walked down the trail. A few hundred feet down, he found the gates to the outpost, an old railroad car with the doors facing the trail. Another body lay there, this one a woman. She had completely been stripped naked and all of her gear was missing, other than her holotags. Norton opened the doors and stepped into the outpost.

The inside of Paradise Falls of worse. At least twenty bodies lay spread out the grounds, all stripped of gear. Something must have been very powerful to be able to infiltrate a Brotherhood outpost and live. Norton looked over and found that all the bodies were Brotherhood, meaning that none of the attackers had died. These weren't ordinary Raiders.

One of the main buildings in Paradise Falls was named Lock and Load, a place where guns and supplies could be bought. Norton walked into the dusty building and looked around. The place was empty. Every single gun, weapon, and bullet had been taken. In the center of the floor lay another Brotherhood of Steel member. This man, Norton knew

Paladin Glade had been a member of Lyon's Pride, the elite group of soldiers Sarah had run. After Sarah's death, the group was disbanded. Glade, being a Paladin, had most likely taken the job of being in charge of the Paradise Falls outpost. Norton bent down and picked up Glade's holotags. He respected this man, had even fought with him.

That was when the muzzle of a 10mm submachine touched Norton's neck.

"Don't move, asshole." The cold voice said.


End file.
